Apparatus and method for gripping and tightening laces

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear, the apparatus comprising a lace with an outer surface, a first end, and a second end, wherein the outer surface at each end may be covered by an aglet, and the outer surface between each aglet has at least an aperture, each aperture forming a closed loop extending through the lace and normal to the outer surface, said aperture sized such as to allow for the insertion of at least one finger into each aperture. The method of using the apparatus comprising the steps of selecting the corresponding apparatus length based upon desired application; threading the apparatus through lacing guides; inserting at least one finger through at least one aperture in the apparatus; and pulling on the apparatus; whereby tensioning the apparatus to the desired tightness for proper functioning of the footwear has been accomplished.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/724,477, filed Nov. 9, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of laces, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear.

BACKGROUND

Laces are commonly used to fasten and secure footwear. In order for the footwear to function properly and to adequately provide support and/or protection to the wearer, it is important that the laces are drawn tight so that the footwear can close securely, and as intended, around the wearer's foot. Special-purpose footwear, such as for sports, including hockey, basketball, and football, require keeping the laces as tight as possible in order for the footwear to function properly. Keeping the laces as tight as possible, however, can be difficult to achieve and be painful on the hands. Young children may also find it difficult to properly grip the laces and tie the laces tight enough. Typically, the wearer resorts to wrapping the laces around their hands or fingers in order to gain enough mechanical advantage in order to achieve the proper tension on the laces. Other methods have included the use of a tool to achieve the adequate tightness. Furthermore, if the laces are not long enough, the proper tightness is not possible to achieve because the wearer cannot get a sufficient grip on the laces. Gripping conventional laces to tighten them is difficult, cumbersome, and sometimes painful.

Various types of laces and lace tensioning systems have been developed. Some of these solutions address the issue of lace tightening by incorporating a shoelace with fixing holes and corresponding fixing hooks attached to the shoe structure. These solutions fail to address the problems discussed above because many types of special purpose footwear, such as those for sports, cannot be adapted to have hooks protruding from the shoe structure due to safety concerns. Furthermore, this type of solution cannot be adapted to existing footwear that does not already have fixing hooks attached to the structure. In other words, this solution will not work with footwear having conventional eyelets or apertures for lacing.

Other solutions attempt to address the problems discussed above by incorporating a gripping device into the lacing system of the shoe. While this type of solution addresses the issue of proper gripping and user discomfort, it provides an inherent problem in that, by definition, the gripping device is a rigid frame that is affixed to the laces presenting, again, a safety concern since the gripping device cannot be removed after tensioning.

Further solutions attempt to address the problems addressed above by providing a lace to be used in a shoe with conventional eyelet apertures, the lace having a plurality of longitudinal apertures through which the end of the lace may be threaded through in order to maintain tension. These solutions, while fixing the lace in a tensioned state, do not address the issues discussed above whereby the user cannot easily grip the laces in order to create the proper tension in the first place.

Information relevant to attempts to address the problems found in the current state of the art, as described above, can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/507,808, as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. Nos. 6,802,439 and 6,968,602. However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: it does not address the issue of easy gripping; it employs fixed structures that preclude the ability to adapt an existing shoe; it employs structures that would present safety concerns.

It would, therefore, be desirable to have a shoe lace tensioning apparatus and method of use that provides for easy, painless, and secure gripping of the laces, without presenting any safety concern, even with short lace ends, and is adaptable to existing footwear with conventional eyelets or lacing apertures.

While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicant in no way disclaims these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.

In this specification where a document, act, or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act, or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Furthermore, in this specification, where reference is made to “laces” or “shoelaces” it is not meant to denote a limitation to a particular field, application, or structure, as embodiments of the disclosed invention may be contemplated to encompass applications other than footwear.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and a method associated with the apparatus that satisfy the need for a shoe lace tensioning apparatus and method of use that provides for easy, painless, and secure gripping of the laces, without presenting any safety concern, even with short lace ends, and is adaptable to existing footwear with conventional eyelets or lacing apertures.

With respect to the apparatus, embodiments thereof provide for a lace, wherein the lace is adapted to pass through conventional eyelets or apertures in a structure, the lace comprising at least one aperture embedded within and defined by the lace. Certain embodiments of the present invention may also include a plurality of apertures embedded within and defined by the lace. The apertures provide easily accessible structures with which to grip the laces by inserting one or more fingers within one or more apertures. In this way, the apertures allow for the user to grip the lace with enough mechanical advantage to properly tighten them regardless of whether the laces are too short. Embodiments of the present invention contemplate various methods of manufacturing the apertures embedded within the lace including, but not limited to, weaving, stitching, and punching. For example, different weave and joining patterns may provide different strength or comfort advantages or may allow use of less material to decrease cost of production, but are still contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention.

Certain embodiments of the present invention may be used for, but not limited to, shoes, skates, boots and the like. For example, the laces may be used for ice skates, hockey skates, snowboarding boots, cleats and the like, where the tightness of the shoe, boot, or skate is important for the performance of the user. It is contemplated, however, that use of certain embodiments of the present invention in other applications beyond footwear, is within the scope of the present invention. For example, the embedded loops may be included in rope ties, such as boat ties, and the like.

With respect to the method associated with the apparatus, the steps to carry out the method are generally comprised of:

Threading the lace through the eyelets of the shoe;

Inserting one or more fingers into one or more apertures embedded within the lace; and

Tensioning the laces to the proper tightness by pulling the laces by the apertures.

The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing an apparatus for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing an apparatus for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear.

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing aglets applied to the ends of an apparatus for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing an apparatus for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear.

FIG. 5 shows apertures embedded in the lace by various different types of manufacturing methods.

FIG. 6 is an operational view in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing how to use the apparatus for gripping and tightening laces for proper functioning of footwear.

DESCRIPTION

In the Summary of the Invention above, in the Description and appended Claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features, including method steps, of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, structures, steps, etc. are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also one or more other components or structures.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm, and whose upper limit is 100 mm.

The term “lace” is used herein to denote a cord or strip of flexible material that is passed through eyelets, slots, hoops, or hooks on opposite sides of a gap in a shoe, garment, or similar structure and then pulled tight and fastened. The material may be constructed from various sources and using various techniques as more fully described herein, and in some instances, as is known in the art.

The term “aglet” is used herein to denote a sheath, or covering, regardless of material or construction, which covers at least a portion of the end of a lace, cord, or ribbon to facilitate its passing through eyelet holes.

The term “aperture” is used herein to denote a structural element such as a gap, hole, or opening defined by at least a first rim on a first surface, a second rim on a second surface, and at least a third surface connecting said first rim and second rim.

While the specification will conclude with claims defining the features of embodiments of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.

An embodiment of the present invention is in the form of an apparatus 100 for gripping and tightening laces, the apparatus comprising: a lace with an outer surface 110 sized such as to pass through conventional lacing guides such as eyelets or lugs, and bounded by a first end 120 and a second end 130 longitudinally disposed opposite said first end; a first aperture 140 forming a closed loop disposed normal to and through the lace outer surface at a first aperture distance 150 longitudinally disposed from the first end; and a second aperture 160 forming a closed loop disposed normal to and through the lace outer surface at a second aperture distance 170 longitudinally disposed from the second end.

This embodiment of the present invention can be used to, but is not limited to, join opposing surfaces on either side of a gap or to tighten a shoe. Additionally, this invention provides an improvement over the current state of the art in that it allows for proper tightening of the fit of the shoe on the user's foot by providing one or more apertures integral to the lace through which a user may insert one or more fingers thereby enabling the user to easily grip the lace for proper tensioning.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus 200 further comprises a plurality of apertures 240 integral to the lace and longitudinally disposed between the first end 220 and the second end 230.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus 300 may further comprise aglets 370 at the first end 320 and the second end 330 in order to facilitate threading of the lace through conventional lacing guides.

A preferred embodiment 400 of the present invention would comprise a lace with an outer surface 410, a first end 420, and a second end 430, wherein the outer surface at the first end is covered by a first aglet 470, the outer surface at the second end is covered by a second aglet 480, and the outer surface between the first aglet and the second aglet has a plurality of apertures 440, each aperture forming a closed loop extending through the lace and normal to the outer surface said aperture sized such as to allow for the insertion of at least one finger into each aperture.

It is contemplated as part of the present invention that embodiments thereof may employ various manufacturing methods in order to create the aperture feature embedded within the lace. Referring to FIG. 5, embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, apertures formed by weaving 510, stitching 520, and punching 530, and sized such as to allow for the insertion of at least one finger. In one embodiment, the apertures are created by combining two strips of material at preset intervals, thus leaving gaps between the strips 520 that define the apertures.

Another embodiment of the present invention is in the form of a method 600 of using an embodiment of the apparatus, wherein the method steps may comprise: selecting the corresponding apparatus 610 length based upon desired application 615; threading the apparatus through lacing guides 620; inserting at least one finger 630 through at least one aperture 640 in the apparatus; and pulling 650 on the apparatus 610; whereby tensioning the apparatus to the desired tightness for proper functioning of the footwear has been accomplished utilizing an embodiment of the apparatus.

In light of the foregoing description, it should be recognized that embodiments in accordance with the present invention can be realized in numerous configurations contemplated to be within the scope and spirit of the claims. Additionally, the description above is intended by way of example only and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way, except as set forth in the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for gripping and tightening laces, the apparatus comprising: a lace with an outer surface sized such as to pass through conventional lacing guides such as eyelets or lugs, and bounded by a first end and a second end longitudinally disposed opposite said first end; a first aperture forming a closed loop disposed normal to and through the lace outer surface at a first aperture distance longitudinally disposed from the first end; and a second aperture forming a closed loop disposed normal to and through the lace outer surface at a second aperture distance longitudinally disposed from the second end.
 2. The first and second apertures of claim 1, wherein said apertures are sized such as to allow for the insertion of at least one finger into each aperture.
 3. The lace of claim 1, wherein the lace further comprises aglets encasing at least a portion of the outer surface between each of the first end and first aperture and second end and second aperture.
 4. The lace of claim 1, wherein the lace further comprises a plurality of apertures disposed longitudinally along the outer surface between the first end and the second end.
 5. A method of using an apparatus for gripping and tightening laces, the method comprising the steps of: selecting the corresponding apparatus length based upon desired application; threading the apparatus through the lacing guides; inserting at least one finger through at least one aperture in the apparatus; and pulling on the apparatus, thereby tensioning the apparatus to the desired tightness.
 6. An apparatus for gripping and tightening laces adapted to be used with footwear having eyelets or lugs, the apparatus comprising: a lace with an outer surface sized such as to pass through the eyelets or lugs, and bounded by a first end and a second end longitudinally disposed opposite said first end; at least one aperture forming a closed loop disposed normal to and through said outer surface of said lace, wherein at least one of said at least one aperture is located at or near said first end; and each of said aperture is sized to allow for the insertion of at least one finger therein.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said lace further comprises aglets encasing at least a portion of the outer surface between each of the first end and said at least one aperture.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said lace further comprises a plurality of apertures disposed longitudinally along the outer surface between said first end and said second end.
 9. A method of using an apparatus for gripping and tightening laces, the method comprising the steps of: selecting an apparatus having a length based upon a desired footwear application; threading the apparatus through the lacing guides of the footwear; inserting at least one finger through at least one aperture in the apparatus; and pulling on the apparatus, thereby tensioning the apparatus to the desired tightness. 